First recorded in 1600–10
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Salt is a notoriously hit or miss player, given his ultra-aggressive style.
From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026
However, thunderstorms will be hit or miss, meaning that some locations will escape them altogether.
From BBC • Sep. 21, 2024
When first developed, gene editing was less like cutting and pasting genes and more like sending in a drone that can hit or miss its target – a piece of DNA.
From Salon • Aug. 17, 2024
“A lot of croissants, obviously. I do like escargot. I know it’s like a hit or miss between some people, but honestly don’t mind the snails too much,” Gauff said.
From Seattle Times • May 21, 2024
My reading prior to my senior year had been largely hit or miss.
From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
